A tale of two Christies

OK for the sake of a cute headline we took some poetic license. Make it one Christie and a Christine. Both are or were popular New Jersey governors, somewhat moderate and now largely despised by an element of their party.

It's been said the estimation of a person's intelligence is directly proportional to how much they agree with you. That's according to W.E.B. Griffin, and we think Griffin's very smart. Same goes for our former governor. Never a huge Christine Todd Whitman fan, we are warming up to our former governor, who recently we've read joined other Republican moderates in backing gay marriage.

"We are talking about family values; we are talking about commitment that so many people hold in such high regard. It shouldn't make a difference if it's between a man and a woman or two men or two women," Whitman said in a recent interview. "We are the party of family values and limited government. Getting out of the bedroom is a good first step."

She's also expressed support for the Simpson Bowles' plan to reduce debt and responsibly rein in government. She also refused to sign the no tax pledge and lastly, which makes her very smart, she recognizes the primary disconnect, that is the problem with out current primary system.

In the same previously referenced interview from ABC OTUS News, our former governor said the purist conservatives are statistically a smaller number of people in the party, but are the loudest because of their role in the party's primaries where voter turnout can be very low.

"It allows the most partisan people the first say…and because they are the most partisan they are going to choose the most partisan people," Whitman said. "They have influence beyond their numbers."

Her viewpoint is unwittingly supported by New Jersey's Tea Party, which several times a week sends this paper its newsletter, TPATH, and in which most recently attacked Governor Chris Christie. This we can't understand. Christie has taken on the powerful New Jersey public employees unions. He's attacked and somewhat tamed the state's budgetary woes and seems resolved to tackle the state's pension problems. His major sin seems to be that he is too chummy with the president. His last transgression, according to TPATH's latest edition, is that he was fraternizing with the First Lady at Governor's Ball held at the White House. Before that reactionary members of the party were upset for him thanking the president for his support and help right after Sandy decked this state.

This outpouring of bile highlights the problems with polarization of our parties. For one, they are jumping on his thanking President Obama, but forgetting that even as he thanked the president he added that he was still voting for Mitt Romney. Not a ringing endorsement. Secondly, politicians in opposite camps these days (look up liberals attacking "Blue Dog" Democrats) are apparently not expected to socialize with each other, let alone acknowledge that someone in the other party has done something good. That's behavior unacceptable even for high school students. Christie to his benefit is not afraid to buck this trend. Moreover he's had the temerity to even say that he was elected to represent all New Jerseyans – Republican, Democrat, liberal, conservative, and the majority of us who fall somewhere in the middle.

While we don't agree with the governor on many of his policies, we didn't like the tone he was taking with the New Jersey Education Association, we disagree with the approach he is taking toward reducing property taxes, and are suspicious of his intentions with the Highlands Preservation Act, we have to say he is a pretty good governor. Our governor is decisive. He has a vision of where he wants to take this state and pursues it unrelentingly. Yet he is also a pragmatist, a necessary quality in most successful politicians. As Prussian's Iron Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck once said, "Politics is the art of the possible."

Christie, if he gets most of what he wants, has shown he will compromise. Mountains are rarely conquered in a fell swoop but rather are taken one ridge at a time. Both Christie and Christine show the needed tolerance to move forward with their ideas to get this state, in our governor's case and with our former governor the country's case to try, and solve the most intractable problems. Let's hope that the more moderate elements of the party take note and support their efforts.